


Cope

by mnee



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Office, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Grief/Mourning, Humor, Idiots in Love, Light Angst, M/M, References to Depression, Romance, Secret Crush, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:28:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29356491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mnee/pseuds/mnee
Summary: Two years after losing his parents, Sasuke has yet to make any steps toward moving on. When Itachi cuts him off, he's forced to find a job for the first time in his life. Who else to become his new boss but the man he'd spent years secretly pining over?
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 43
Kudos: 92





	1. Chapter 1

“You can’t be serious.”

“I’m very serious, Sasuke. It’s been over two years. I’m depositing money for next month’s rent and utilities, but that’s it. You need to get a job.”

“This is bullshit. My inheritance-”

“You don’t receive distributions from the trust until you turn 25. You know this.”

Itachi returned Sasuke’s heated glare with artificial calm as he placed his mug on the glossy wood table. He hadn’t wanted it to come to this. He’d tried being gentle, supportive, encouraging… nothing had worked, and if anything, Sasuke was getting worse. He rarely left his apartment and didn’t even speak to his old friends anymore. Itachi blamed himself for allowing this to continue for so long. He knew his brother would benefit from - _needed_ \- a routine and human interaction. If Sasuke chose to hate him forever, so be it if it meant he’d actually gain some semblance of a life again.

“So,” Sasuke spoke slowly, his voice low and trembling with poorly controlled hurt and anger, “I’m supposed to be homeless for a year until then?”

“No, you’re supposed to _get a job_ ,” Itachi repeated. 

“A job,” the younger Uchiha scoffed. “And who’s going to hire a college dropout with zero work experience?”

“That’s for you to figure out.”

“Wow.” Sasuke ran his hands through his hair. “Mother and father would be proud. They trusted you to take care of-”

“This _is_ taking care of you.” Itachi’s eyes flashed, but his tone remained neutral. “Someday, I hope, you’ll understand that.”

\-----

Sasuke slammed the door of his apartment shut and kicked off his shoes. He couldn’t believe this. Itachi _knew_ he was planning to go back to school and finish his degree. He only had a semester left. Sure, it’d been longer than he’d expected… okay, a lot longer, but he was struggling for fuck’s sake. Now he was just supposed to get a job? How? Where?

He half-heartedly stomped into the kitchen, finding the unopened bottle of Hibiki 17 that had been tucked in a cabinet since his 21st birthday. After sloshing some of the whiskey into a glass, he took a generous sip. _Fuck._ Another sip. _Probably should’ve just sold this for rent money,_ he thought bitterly. 

A glass and a half later, his anger had abated in favor of self-loathing. Itachi was a fucking saint for putting up with his shit. While he’d been moping for the past two plus years, his brother had taken care of him while working a minimum of 60 hours a week to complete his ophthalmology residency. As usual, Itachi was better than him. Better at school, better at life, better at coping with their shared loss. And he couldn’t even hate him for it because he knew Itachi loved him more than anything.

With a sigh, he headed into the bedroom. It was tidy and minimal just like the rest of his apartment. Despite everything, he couldn’t tolerate mess or clutter. He heard his father’s scolding voice in his head if he so much as left a plate in the sink without immediately washing it. So he wasn’t a completely lost cause, right? He wasn't in bed all day, never bathing and surrounded by piles of trash. He spent most of his time reading books and people watching from his balcony. It wasn’t like he didn’t _want_ to be around people. He just knew that they were better off without him. Who’d want to spend time with someone so negative and depressing? At least before, he could occasionally laugh and make others laugh. Now, he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d laughed. How fucking sad.

He was tempted to flop onto his bed without bothering to change out of his clothes or brush his teeth, but he forced himself to, knowing he’d feel disgusting in the morning if he didn’t. Once he was finally beneath the covers, he took his phone from the night stand and opened up the group chat with his friends from college. It’d been more than six months since he’d last responded or seen any of them in person. Jugo had contacted Itachi because they’d been so worried about him. 

He scrolled through the dozens of unread messages with immense guilt. Apparently Karin and Suigetsu had moved in together, Jugo was excelling in vet school (his contributions to the chat mostly consisted of photos or trivia about various animals), Suigetsu was applying to a master’s program for oceanography, Karin had a surprising amount of drama happen at the research lab she worked in… 

They all had rich, exciting lives. He wasn’t jealous. He was just tired of never having anything worthwhile to share. He was tired of bringing them down. He was a shitty friend who never checked in on them or stayed involved in their lives while they put so much effort into staying connected with him. They wanted to help, but there was nothing they could do. God, he was even selfish about figuring out how to become less selfish.

Once he'd read all of the messages, he returned the phone to its charger and closed his eyes. He often struggled to fall asleep, but the alcohol had made him feel heavy and warm. It wasn't long before the distant noise of the city lulled him to sleep.

\-----

After a few days spent wallowing in denial, he reluctantly accepted what had to be done. He began by creating a spreadsheet of expenses. As it was, he lived simply. He didn't eat out or have a dozen monthly subscriptions. His biggest expenditure was books, which he supposed he could switch to the library for for now. He didn't have car payments or student loans to worry about. Yes, he was incredibly privileged and he knew it. 

When he calculated the minimum he'd have to earn (assuming he didn't have to move to a cheaper apartment, which would be a pain), he threw together a resume and started searching for jobs. Most entry level positions without a degree requirement were for sales or customer service. Both things he would be terrible at. Yet, both far more appealing than retail or waiting tables, which he'd be even worse at. At least with interactions limited to phone or computer chats, people wouldn't have to see him. There was simply no way he'd ever be able to convincingly smile and charm customers face to face.

He applied to every job he found that he qualified for. Occasionally, something came up that he'd genuinely be interested in, like working at an independent bookshop, but he didn't dare hope to actually get it. There would inevitably be superior candidates who didn't have a mysterious two year gap of nothingness on their resume. Since he'd never even had a real paid job, his resume detailed private tutoring (technically he'd tutored his friends and accepted free meals as payment) and his volunteer work at the city's health department.

Three full weeks later, he was beginning to panic. He'd had countless phone interviews and a handful of in-person ones that had all failed to progress. There were three more weeks before the first of the month when rent would be due. Depending on a company’s pay periods, even after starting it could be several weeks before he’d receive his first paycheck. He was seriously getting down to the wire now. Just as he was considering sucking it up and applying to retail jobs too, he received an email that sounded promising. Halle-fucking-lujah.

> _Sasuke,_
> 
> _Thank you for your time on our phone call yesterday. After reviewing your information, we would love to have you come in for an in-person interview with our Director of Customer Support. Please let me know your availability for the next few days and we can put it on the calendar. We are looking to fill this position ASAP and are excited to speak with you further._
> 
> _Best,_
> 
> _Ino Yamanaka_
> 
> _Recruiter_

He promptly sent off a reply. It was nearing 3pm, so he wasn’t sure he’d receive a response by the end of the day. Just twenty minutes later, though, his phone chimed with a new email notification.

> _Perfect! We can schedule it for first thing tomorrow. Please arrive at our downtown office at 8:30 and give your name to the receptionist._

The email included a Google calendar invitation, which he accepted before sending another reply to confirm. He then pulled up the company’s website to do some research. He’d applied to so many jobs, it was difficult to keep track of them.

 _Sprout - a digital learning platform._ He scrolled through the “About” and “Team” pages. It seemed somewhat interesting, at least. The company was still quite new but had seen considerable growth over the past year. The executive team was young and they made every effort to make Sprout sound like a ~fun and hip~ place to work. Ping pong! Free snacks (including La Croix)! Standing desks! Blech. 

He jotted down a few interview questions in his notes app. He’d take anything at this point, but apparently it looked bad to have no questions, so he figured he should come up with some just to look like he gave a shit.

Next, he mapped out the office. To his surprise, it was actually within walking distance, only a few blocks away. That would be incredibly convenient. 

After a bit more Googling for interview tips (even though he’d already been on several, he did this every time), he went to his closet to pull out his go-to interview outfit: navy suit, white shirt, grey tie. He hung the set from the top knob of his dresser and glanced at his reflection in the full-length mirror beside it. Yep, he looked miserable. He practiced a few different smiles until he managed one that didn’t look or feel _too_ obviously fake.

He could do this.

Maybe.

Probably not.

\-----

Sasuke arrived at 8:15 on the dot. The reserved brunette receptionist whose nameplate only read 'Tenten' called Ino up to meet him. He couldn't see the entirety of the office, but it seemed to take up the entire floor of the building. It had an industrial design with open ceilings and exposed brick featuring huge arch windows on the exterior walls. The front desk was made from a stack of dark-stained wood pallets, behind which stood a black half wall bearing the company's logo in thick brass lettering. Not really what Sasuke had expected for a smallish company that primarily worked with school districts, but it was a welcome surprise. It certainly beat endless walls of beige and rows of cubicles packing employees together like sardines. Everyone he’d seen so far appeared to be around his age, including Ino, who strode up in a fitted white top that was tucked into a pair of deep purple wide-legged pants. Brown leather block heels and a gold collar necklace completed the ensemble, her platinum blonde hair pulled back into a sleek high ponytail. 

“Sasuke! It’s so nice to meet you in person.”

He had to resist the urge to roll his eyes when she blushed after giving him a not-so-subtle once over before leading him to the director’s office. He'd nearly forgotten what it was like to be gawked at on a regular basis. A tiny, vain part of him was relieved he could still garner such attention.

“I hope you didn’t get stuck in the construction out there. I should’ve mentioned it. Or did you take the bus?” 

He despised small talk, but something about Ino’s relaxed demeanor put him at ease. She was talkative but not obnoxious and he could tell that she had a strong personality, which despite his best efforts he tended to be attracted to in friends. “It's not a problem. I only live a few blocks away, so I walked.”

“Oh, so close! I’m jealous, I live outside of downtown so my commute sucks.”

They chatted for a few more minutes after reaching the office, then she had to leave for a call.

“I think he’s finishing up a quick chat with the CEO, but he should be right in. Feel free to take a seat. Good luck!” She smiled and closed the door behind her, leaving him alone to panic. He distracted himself by inspecting the office. 

There was another arched window on the wall opposite the door, south-facing judging by the considerable light that poured in. To his right was a rustic L-shaped desk backed by a wall of open shelving. The room was sparse but had a few boxes on the floor and desk. Perhaps the director had just moved to this office? Aside from the standard computer setup and phone, the only other items in the room were close to a dozen plants. A few on the floor or in stands in front of the window, a couple on the desk, and more on the built-in shelves.

He was just touching the leaf of a monstera to check whether it was real when he heard the doorknob turn. 

“Sorry to keep you waiting!”

That voice…

Sasuke spun around and sure enough, he was met with a mop of untidy blonde hair, eyes that were too blue to be real, and an addictive goofy grin.

“Naruto?”

It was said like a question, but it obviously _was_ him. The guy he’d crushed on in high school and therefore treated like the scum of the earth because he was still very much in the closet and terrified of anyone learning his big bad secret. Not to mention he was (is) incredibly socially inept and wouldn't know how to talk to someone he was seriously attracted to if he tried. He'd hooked up with a few guys in college, but he'd never been in any kind of relationship. It was much easier for him to feel confident approaching people when he wasn't planning to see them again.

And now he was standing in front of the one person who'd ever made his heart flutter, his palms sweat, his mind blank. To make matters worse, Naruto had cruelly managed to become even better looking. His dark wash jeans and burnt orange henley beneath a navy blazer were a significant step up from the worn out sportswear he'd exclusively worn in their teens. He was clearly fit, and meanwhile Sasuke was… well, he _used_ to be in good shape, but two years of being a blob had considerably diminished his muscle mass. Shit, _focus -_ why was Naruto even here? Wasn’t he way too young to work as a director? 

Work. Yes. He was here for a job. A job he desperately needed and was running out of time to obtain.

Fuck.


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto laughed and closed the door to his office. “Shit, it’s really you! I couldn’t believe it when I saw your name on the application.” He shook his head as he approached Sasuke, who continued staring at him in uncharacteristic bewilderment.

What did that mean? He really _was_ the director? And he’d known Sasuke was the applicant and didn’t immediately disregard his application? Maybe he’d only agreed to the interview to ridicule him. Except... the Naruto he knew wouldn’t do that.

“I gotta say, you’re the last person I’d expect to apply for a customer service job. Please, sit,” the blond gestured to a chair and moved behind his desk.

Sasuke turned to face him but didn’t move from his spot. This was too surreal. He crossed an arm over his torso to clutch the opposite wrist tightly, desperately trying to get a hold of himself. Anxiety was rapidly bubbling up and he could feel sweat forming at his brow. Nope nope nope. He couldn’t do this.

“Forget it,” he muttered, dropping his gaze and quickly walking to the door. He had to get out of there. And then go back to his apartment and never leave. Except to move to a new apartment where he could never accidentally run into Naruto because _apparently_ he worked only a few fucking minutes away.

“Whoa, wait!” Naruto hurried over and put a hand on the door to hold it shut when Sasuke reached for the knob. “Jeez, I didn’t mean anything bad by it! I wouldn’t have asked you to interview if I didn’t think you were capable.”

Sasuke feebly yanked at the handle. “Let me go.”

“Hey.” Suddenly Naruto’s strong hand was cupping his shoulder. He crouched down until Sasuke’s dark eyes met his. “Just sit down and we can talk. Please?”

Fuck, those eyes. How long had it been since he’d last seen them? Four years, at least. They’d run into each other once or twice in that first year after graduation when they were both home for the holidays. He remembered it clearly. Naruto had seemed so different after only a few months at college. More confident - genuine confidence, not his usual bravado - and mature. He’d always been more intelligent than he let on, but he was no longer afraid to show it. He thrived after leaving their little town and Sasuke was happy for him.

Sasuke gave a curt nod and let Naruto steer him to one of the chairs in front of the desk. Naruto sat in the chair next to him instead of his own. After a long silence, Naruto sighed and leaned forward, his forearms resting on his thighs.

"Can you talk about why you applied for the position?"

Sasuke took a deep breath. Naruto was so close he could smell his cologne, a woody amber scent blended with crisp citrus. Warm yet fresh. It suited him.

"I need a job."

"I gathered that much." Amusement edged out the concern in his voice. "You're going to have to be a little more personable if you're going to interact with our customers. I know you _can_ , but are you willing to do that?"

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't have applied."

"That's convincing."

Sasuke glared. If he could just make himself angry, he wouldn’t have to deal with all of these other much less comfortable emotions.

"I don't want you to do me any favors. I'm sure you have more suitable candidates who would be a better fit."

Naruto relaxed back against his chair, grinning as if Sasuke’s blatant irritation was his favorite thing in the world. "If this is how you usually talk in interviews, I think I can guess why you haven't gotten hired yet."

"Yes, because every job I've interviewed for has been with an idiot from high school who I haven't seen in four years."

"Two.”

Sasuke frowned. "What?"

"Well, you probably didn't see me. I didn't think you would." At Sasuke's continued confusion, he scratched at the back of his head awkwardly. "I, uh, went to the funeral."

"Oh." Sasuke gripped the edge of his seat, trying and failing to fight off the butterflies rudely fluttering around his stomach. He should’ve realized that Naruto would know about his parents. He'd been so out of it that day, he really had no clue who attended. That was just yet another thing Itachi had taken care of while he was entirely useless. "You didn't have to do that."

Naruto smiled, that warm, heartbreaking smile he'd seen many times but had never before been directed at him.

"I know."

He had to be blushing now. Great. Why was it always like this? The more he pushed him away, the more Naruto dove deeper, effortlessly peeling back the layers he’d so carefully constructed. The moron didn’t even do it consciously. It was just who he was, and that was why Sasuke was so drawn to him.

Humiliated, he pretended to look around the office for the first time. Just look somewhere, _anywhere_ else.

"How'd you convince someone to give you this much responsibility, anyway?"

"I'm good at my job, asshole."

Naruto smirked when Sasuke glanced back at him with a raised brow. "I interned here my senior year and they offered me a full time position once I graduated. They made me a support manager after six months and I just got promoted when our old director resigned. I really didn't think they'd offer it to me, but I guess they have more faith in me than I do."

"It's not like you to be so modest."

"I'd like to think I've grown a little since high school."

He certainly had… physically, yes - _fuck_ why were his pecs so defined through that stupid shirt - but Sasuke could tell that he’d matured even more over these past few years. In school, their peers had thought Naruto was cocky and annoying. Which he was, to be fair, but Sasuke understood that his behavior was rooted in insecurity. They were alike in that regard. Nonetheless, Naruto never hesitated to help someone, even those who mocked him. He didn’t hold grudges. He had empathy, drive - and Sasuke knew he had charisma too, it just took longer for others to see it. A service-oriented job was perfect for someone like Naruto. He’d be the type of leader people respected and wanted to make proud. It didn’t surprise Sasuke one bit that Naruto was doing well for himself.

"Hn."

"So."

"So?"

"Am I allowed to ask what's going on with you, or will you try to run away again?"

"I told you, I need a job."

Naruto obviously wanted to press further. Sasuke almost hoped he would. He imagined giving in, unloading all of his issues and letting Naruto comfort him. What would it feel like to be wrapped in those arms? It'd been a long time since he'd fantasized about that. It was coming back so easily though, hastened by these soft smiles and fluid banter that made him feel like no time had passed at all.

In the end, Naruto only nodded. "Alright. Well, I'm happy to offer you the position. Are you gonna accept or do I have to convince you that you're the one doing me a favor?"

Sasuke bit his lip. Could he really handle seeing Naruto every day? It’d been what - fifteen minutes? - and he was already drowning in these resurfaced feelings that he’d thought had gone away but of course they hadn’t because the universe hated him.

But what choice did he have?

"No. I'll take it." He stared down at his hands that were now folded together in his lap and hesitated before asking, "Why, though?"

"Why?" Naruto rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I guess it may not make sense to you, but our little rivalry helped me out of a dark place back then. This feels like the least I can do."

He shrugged when Sasuke peered back up at him in shock. "And we really do need someone to start immediately. None of the other candidates could start for two or more weeks. Plus,” he smirked, “it'll probably do you good to learn some de-escalation techniques."

Sasuke scoffed (though admittedly, the jeer held ~~some~~ a lot of truth) while inside, his mind was spinning. _He_ had helped Naruto? How? That was the absolute last thing he’d ever expected Naruto to say.

“I’m not the one who punched through so many walls it should’ve been listed on your college applications as an extracurricular activity.”

“You had teachers afraid of you. The silent rage thing is much more effective.”

“Who was af- are you talking about Mizuki? Because he doesn’t count.”

“Hey, don’t shit on gym teachers.”

“It’s not that he was a gym teacher. He was just a pathetic excuse for a human being.”

“Can’t argue that.”

They gazed at each other for a moment, faces brimming with mirth. This was so familiar, yet so different. In high school, their verbal attacks were often barbed and unrestrained. Maybe they’d never truly meant what they said, but it was still a toxic relationship. This was playful, and there was a mutual understanding that they actually liked and cared about each other. Not that Sasuke ever intended to admit it aloud.

With tremendous difficulty, Sasuke made his best attempt at expressing his heartfelt gratitude. Naruto did deserve that much, at least.

"Naruto, I… appreciate this."

Naruto lit up with another one of _those_ smiles and for the briefest moment in years, Sasuke felt so light he might float away.

“Don’t mention it.” His blue eyes flickered with something unreadable. Before Sasuke could try to decipher it, he slipped back into professional mode. “So, uh, did you have any questions about the job?”

Sasuke recalled the half-assed questions he’d written down the day before and grimaced. “No.”

“Okay, well, we usually have new hires start on a Friday just to meet everyone and go over the onboarding process, then you start training the following Monday. I know it’s already Wednesday, but-”

“That’s fine.”

“Great, I’ll let Ino know. She can email over an offer letter later today - or, actually, we could walk over now and see if she’s free. I have a bit more time, so I can give you a little tour if you want?”

“Sure.”

“Awesome,” Naruto hopped to his feet and motioned for Sasuke to follow, “D’you want a coffee or something first?”

“I’m fine.” He paused, then added, “Thanks.”

Naruto observed Sasuke’s outfit as they walked through the door and started down the corridor. “There’s no dress code, so you can wear whatever you want. Are you still a goth these days?”

“I was never goth, moron.”

“Uh huh. That Edward Scissorhands costume for Halloween sophomore year was basically just your normal everyday look.”

“Whatever. At least I didn’t look like a jock reject.”

“I _was_ on the basketball team-”

“For all of five minutes.”

“Well, they were dicks.”

“You had to join the team to figure that out?”

“No, my dad- wait, c’mere, Yamato’s still here-” Naruto grabbed Sasuke’s elbow and pulled him into an office, knocking on the already open door.

A brown-haired man Sasuke recognized from the website as the CEO was playing with what appeared to be… lincoln logs…? as he spoke to someone over speakerphone. He waved them closer with one hand while the other finished up another wall of the cabin he was building.

“-you too. Talk soon.” Yamato pressed a button to end the call and straightened up. “Hey. Who’s this?”

Naruto released Sasuke’s elbow to clap him on the back instead. “Meet the newest member of my team, Sasuke Uchiha! I’ve actually known him for years. I know he looks like a stuffy prick, but he’s good at everything he does. I’m sure he’ll give Sai a run for his money.”

Sasuke suppressed the urge to shove Naruto at the words ‘stuffy prick,’ but ‘good at everything he does’ more than made up for the slight. That was the closest thing to a compliment Naruto had ever said about him. Not that he agreed he was good at everything - his life was a shitshow - but he was flattered Naruto thought so highly of him.

“Anyone who manages to rile Sai up is a winner as far as I’m concerned. It’s nice to meet you, Sasuke.” He extended his hand and Sasuke shook it, offering what he hoped was his most believable smile.

“Thank you, I look forward to working with you.”

“As you can probably tell, we’re pretty chill around here. Just let HR know if this one oversteps any boundaries.” Yamato leveled Naruto with an eerie stare that the blond feigned a cower at.

“I would never.” Naruto held up his hands defensively, mouth stretched in a lopsided grin.

Sasuke and Yamato snorted in unison.

“Okay, okay, I see how it is,” Naruto said in mock hurt. “I just wanted to introduce you, we’ll let you get back to your super important work.” He pointedly looked down at Yamato’s log cabin, snickering when the other man tossed him a middle finger.

“Get out of my office.”

\-----

“That’s an interesting relationship you two have,” Sasuke remarked dryly once they were back in the hall.

“He’s a cool guy. We have a little bit of a prank war going on, but I’ll leave that for another day. So this side is pretty much all offices and conference rooms - that one’s the stock room - and here,” the end of the hallway led into a massive open space, “is everything else.”

To the left was the kitchen, attached to a break room with tables and games. The rest of the space was divided into four distinct workspaces, which Naruto pointed out as marketing, sales, support, and IT. There was a second floor loft overlooking the main floor that housed the legal, finance, engineering, and product teams. While there were a few individual desks, most were large and shared by multiple people. Sasuke grimly noted that there were no walls or dividers to be seen.

"You don't believe in privacy here, I take it."

Naruto chuckled, walking into the kitchen to get himself a cup of coffee. "Your dream come true, huh?"

Something about this was definitely like a dream…

“Sure you don’t want something?”

Naruto was lifting his brows and Sasuke realized he’d been staring a little too intently.

“I guess I’ll take a coffee,” he mumbled.

Naruto showed him the remaining spots. In the back corner on the opposite side, there was a small dark room outfitted with a plush sofa, a couple of hanging chairs, and yoga mats. The long wall across from the kitchen was a designated ‘appreciation wall’ where employees thanked each other on colorful sticky notes. Sasuke read a few:

> _Kiba, thank you for bringing Akamaru to work last week. He’s sooo cute!_
> 
> _Thank you Naruto for making the air quality healthy again by finally throwing out those rank Nikes._
> 
> _Thanks to whoever brought in those surprise donuts!_

Once the tour was complete, they looped back past the front desk and went to the HR office to find Ino.

“Yay, congratulations!” She squealed upon hearing the news, looking suspiciously like she was going to hug Sasuke until he subtly stepped out of reach.

“He can start Friday, so can you get the offer letter and everything done now?”

“Of course! It’ll just take me a few minutes.”

Ino returned to her desk to assemble the necessary documents and Naruto turned to Sasuke. “I need to prepare for a meeting, so…”

They shared another lingering look. It wasn’t exactly tension, but there was definitely… _something_ there and Sasuke didn’t know what. Awkwardness? Or...

“I’ll see you Friday, then,” Naruto finished when Sasuke failed to speak.

He nodded, too deep in thought to formulate a reply. Naruto turned back just before exiting to give him one last smile that he would spend every second until Friday thinking about.

“I’m glad you’re here, Sasuke.”


	3. Chapter 3

This was stupid.

Sasuke had spent a solid hour deciding on his outfit last night and here he was, second guessing it again. Why was this so difficult when he only really wore one variation of the same look?

He analyzed himself in the mirror once more. Black jeans, dark grey sweater, black combat boots. It was fine. Simple. Simple was good. The sweater was baggy on him now that he’d lost some weight, but it still looked okay. 

It was unnerving to suddenly care about his appearance after not giving it a second thought for so long. But dress code or no, he wasn't about to go to work in the lounge pants and t-shirts he'd been living in until now. It wasn’t like he was trying to look nice for Naruto. Definitely not. He just had certain standards to maintain. 

He reached over to take the four small silver hoop earrings from the top of his dresser that he'd forgotten to put back in after the interview. His eyes drifted to the framed photo sitting beside them, a family portrait in front of his childhood home. Sasuke had just turned six and Itachi was carrying him on his shoulders with their parents hugging them from either side. It was the day they'd moved into the historic house that their father had single-handedly renovated. They looked so happy, ecstatic to finally be moving in after what had turned into a years-long project. For Sasuke, it was like he’d been waiting his entire life to live there. And it was well worth the wait - he _loved_ their home. It always smelled like whatever fresh flowers his mother had purchased that week, assembled into custom bouquets and placed strategically throughout the house so that the subtle fragrance permeated every room. Then, when the weather became cool, she’d boil orange peels with cinnamon and cloves to make everywhere smell autumnal and cozy. 

He hadn’t been home since after the funeral. By then, the last flowers his mother had ever arranged were wilted, but he couldn’t bring himself to throw them out knowing that the vases would never be filled again. Itachi eventually disposed of them when the house began to smell like decay, which was the very last thing either of them needed. The next day, Jugo had driven Sasuke back to their out-of-state university. That nine hour drive was the only time he cried. 

In an instant, his superficial concerns felt so trivial. He wondered if his parents would be disappointed in the state of his life. But he didn't think they'd be disappointed so much as devastated. No family was perfect, but theirs had been pretty damn close. His parents loved and respected each other. His father was stern, but fair and unafraid to express his affection. His mother was the epitome of warmth and unconditional love. They never spoke down to their children or held unrealistic expectations. He and Itachi were nurtured and challenged all while knowing that their parents would support them no matter what. 

Sasuke didn’t realize how lucky he was until he met Naruto. Their town was relatively small, but still divided by two school districts. They’d gone to different schools until Naruto was adopted at twelve and moved to his adoptive father’s home in Sasuke’s district. It didn’t take long for everyone to find out that Naruto was orphaned as a baby and had bounced between group and foster homes until he was adopted. Sasuke was aware other kids had unhealthy home environments, sure, but to have no permanent home at all for twelve years? Kids and adults alike either pitied or avoided Naruto. Sasuke had pitied him too until it became apparent that Naruto just wanted to be treated like everyone else. That was something he could relate to. 

Along with being one of only three Asian families in their entire town, they were also one of the wealthiest. By the time Sasuke entered middle school, Itachi had become known for skipping two grades, getting a perfect SAT score, and being his graduating class’s valedictorian. People either liked Sasuke because he was “exotic," rich, presumably smart like his brother, and objectively handsome, or hated him for all of the same reasons. Naruto was the only one who viewed him as his own person. He'd always pursued Sasuke, perhaps sensing that they were alike in this way - two lonely boys desperate to be seen without prejudice. For two years, they were _sort of_ friends, occasionally hanging out but never putting a label on their relationship. But the closer they became, the more Sasuke realized his attraction to the other boy wasn't purely platonic. When high school began and his teenage hormones were in full swing, he pushed Naruto away because it seemed like the safest option. He didn't need yet another reason to stand out.

A chime from his phone stirred him from his thoughts. He checked it to find a new text from Itachi.

_I’m not working tomorrow. I will bring dinner to your place at 7._

They’d hardly spoken these past few weeks and had yet to see each other in person since that day. Itachi inviting himself over was his last resort when he wasn’t satisfied by how much Sasuke was talking to him. 

Sasuke knew he was being unfair. He wasn’t angry anymore, just embarrassed and ashamed. At least he’d be able to tell Itachi he managed to find a job and wasn’t a complete fuckup. 

Normally, he’d ignore the message - Itachi would show up whether he replied or not - but he felt guilty enough as it was. He typed back an ‘ _OK_ ’ and then tossed the phone on his bed. He still had another ten minutes to pointlessly fret over his appearance before he needed to leave.

\-----

Ino greeted Sasuke again that morning to lead him to his new desk. He noted that Naruto's office was empty as they passed it, but it turned out the blond was already in the support area, chatting away to a handful of other people. When he saw Sasuke approaching, he smiled brightly and hopped off of the desk he'd been perched on.

"There he is! Everybody, this is Sasuke." 

Naruto proceeded to introduce him to everyone. And there were _a lot_ of people. The support agents were organized into teams of six and Sasuke would be on the team managed by Sai, consisting of himself, Kiba, Choji, Sakura, Lee, and Temari. His first impressions were that Temari and Choji would be the least annoying. 

Sasuke was so overwhelmed he didn't notice that someone had whisked Naruto away until he was already gone. But that's how it would be, of course - it wasn't like he'd be around Naruto all day. He knew that. _Obviously._

Thankfully, there wasn’t much time for his new colleagues to interrogate him before they had to get to work. The morning went by quickly. Sai explained the two week training process: learning about the product, studying the company knowledgebase, memorizing scripts, and then shadowing each teammate for one day. Lastly, he’d move on to answering simulated tickets, followed by real tickets with Sai observing. There were various performance metrics he was expected to achieve and despite how little this work interested him, his competitive nature began to stir to life. This might be good for him after all.

At noon, Sasuke learned it was customary for managers to take new hires out for lunch with their team. He was dreading it until Naruto bounded over, announcing he’d be coming too. By everyone’s equally thrilled reaction, it was evident that Naruto was well-loved amongst his subordinates. Sasuke felt strangely proud of Naruto’s success and popularity. There was even something like _hope_ , because he understood how hard Naruto had worked to achieve this and that made him think maybe, someday, he’d have a fraction of the happiness Naruto positively emanated. Other peoples’ success usually only made him feel worse about himself, but it felt wrong, _deplorable_ to harbor any negative emotions toward someone as deserving as Naruto.

"So, how's the first day going?"

He and Naruto were walking side-by-side to the restaurant. Sasuke glanced over at him, feeling his pulse quicken from their close proximity. The sun was high in the sky and Naruto’s eyes shone even brighter than usual, almost icy in the sunlight, the pale hue all the more striking against his caramel skin. Naruto brought a hand over his forehead for shade so that he could see the other man clearly.

“I can’t say I’ve found my life’s calling, but it’s been… tolerable.” 

“Heh, that’s the enthusiasm I like to hear.” Naruto grinned, dropping his hand. “I think you’ll get along with everyone, though. Especially Temari.”

Sasuke still hadn’t talked to anyone long enough to form an opinion on them yet, but he wasn’t expecting to make friends. It was a miracle he’d managed to make any in college. Now his personality was even worse. 

“If you aren’t doing anything tomorrow night, a few of us are going to that bar arcade on 6th.” 

Sasuke smirked. “Still deluding yourself that you can beat me at Street Fighter?”

“Oh, I _will_ beat you,” Naruto countered just as smugly. He elbowed Sasuke in the side when the raven snorted. “Does that mean you’ll come?”

A social gathering sounded about as fun as being flayed, but… _Naruto_. 

Sasuke pressed his lips together, torn between not wanting to let Naruto down and not wanting to subject himself to the torture of drunk idiots. The logical part of his brain was also insisting that it would do him no good to get close to Naruto. He may be out now, and it might not be the end of the world if people noticed he was in love with the idiot, but fuck it’d hurt to inevitably have Naruto reject him. That was a pain he couldn’t bear, at least not yet. And he didn’t want to put Naruto in that position either. 

Ultimately, he remembered Itachi's text that morning and was both relieved and disappointed to have the decision made for him.

“I can’t.”

“Hot date?”

“Dinner with my brother.”

“That _is_ a hot date." 

Naruto laughed as Sasuke’s mouth twisted into a scowl. “Hey, he could come too!”

“Fuck no.”

“C’mon, grace us with the infamous Itachi’s presence,” he teased. “I’ve never even had an actual conversation with him.”

“Consider yourself lucky.”

“Pfft, he can’t be worse than you.”

“It’s not happening, Naruto.”

“Fiiiine. But you have to come next time.”

“I wasn’t aware that was a condition of my employment.”

“It is now.” Naruto stuck out his tongue and Sasuke shook his head, ducking to hide the small smile he couldn’t contain. “If you don’t, I’ll just have to assume you’re too afraid to face my superior Street Fighter skills and I’ll win by default.”

“Keep dreaming, moron. I’ll wipe the floor with you in front of all your friends.”

“Mmm, we’ll see.” The blond’s lips curled into an annoyingly attractive smile of immense satisfaction and Sasuke sighed, already feeling like he'd lost.

\-----

After settling down at a large rectangular table in the restaurant and receiving their drinks, Lee abruptly stood and cleared his throat. Oh _no_. Sasuke shrunk down in his seat as the man’s passionate lilt boomed, drawing attention from the other tables in their vicinity. 

“I would like to formally welcome Sasuke to the best department at Sprout! Through our combined hard work and determination, we can make this incredible company even better together. We are all thrilled to share in this journey of maximizing our individual and collective potential with you. Here’s to the start of a beautiful friendship!” 

Lee raised his glass and Naruto and Kiba shouted excessively enthusiastic ‘hear hear!’s while the rest of the group clapped and cheered, either unaffected by Sasuke’s obvious discomfort or taking great pleasure in it (somehow, he suspected the latter). When everyone turned to look at him expectantly, he fiddled with the hem of his sweater and swallowed. 

“Thanks.”

It’d never been difficult for him to talk to people before, but he’d never been in this position of actually caring what people thought of him. If everyone thought he was a dick, that would reflect poorly on Naruto. He had to play nice, at least as much as was feasible for a miserable person like himself.

“So, Sasuke,” Temari studied him curiously. “Naruto said you both grew up in the suburbs. How long have you lived in the city?”

“Almost two years.” He moved to be close to Itachi after he was diagnosed with ‘prolonged grief disorder’ and Itachi threatened to transfer his residency program and move in with him. But, the threats were unnecessary. By that point, Sasuke didn’t want to be around his friends anymore anyway.

“Oh? What brought you here?”

“My brother.”

Her mouth opened for another question, but Sakura cut in before she could speak. “Do you have a girlfriend?”

“ _Sakura,_ ” Naruto groaned. “Stop trying to pick up every guy who starts working here.”

“I don’t try to pick up _every_ guy,” she retorted indignantly. Then, flashing Sasuke a coy smile, “just the cute ones.”

“I’m gay,” he replied flatly, trying very hard not to look at Naruto, but he could see the blond’s eyebrows shoot up in his peripheral vision. 

Sakura dejectedly mumbled something and Lee patted her back sympathetically. 

Choji verbalized the new query on everyone’s mind: “Boyfriend, then?”

“No.” 

“Huh, really? You’re a good looking guy.” Kiba tapped his finger against his cheek. “Hey, isn’t Gaara single?”

“Sasuke’s not Gaara’s type,” came Naruto’s voice. 

“Yeah, he’s more into blondes,” Temari agreed, smirking when Naruto shot her a glare. 

“Gaara is Temari’s brother,” Choji explained. “He’s been into Naruto for years.”

Sasuke sucked down the rest of his water. Of course he wasn’t the only gay inexplicably charmed by this moron. 

"That's not it! He likes more outgoing and, like, masculine guys-"

"Sasuke is masculine," Sakura argued.

Kiba eyed him contemplatively. "Well, he does have an androgynous vibe going on."

"Exactly!"

“Hmm, isn’t dark hair and pale skin your thing, Naruto?” 

Sasuke’s heart skipped a beat - what the _fuck_ was happening -

Naruto made a disgusted face. “Not if you’re including yourself in that category.”

Sai smiled calmly. “As if I’d want your pencil dick.”

“Oh yeah?” Kiba snickered, interrupting whatever string of curses was about to come out of Naruto’s mouth. “How big is the strapon Ino pegs you with?”

“Probably seven or eight-”

“This conversation is becoming extremely inappropriate,” Lee loudly interjected, his face flushed an impressively deep crimson. 

Everyone dissolved into laughter, save for Sasuke, who was reeling from the possible implications of this exchange. Not the pegging, because that was an image he very much did _not_ need in his mind, but Naruto’s “type” and the fact he hadn’t pointed out he wasn’t into men. He was definitely straight, though... right?

Their food came shortly thereafter and just when Sasuke thought he might be off the hook, Kiba pointed his fork at him during a lull in the sporadic conversation about work. "So tell us about yourself, man. Whaddya like to do, what're your goals, whaddya hate, y'know."

"There's not much to tell." Sadly, no one was placated by that answer. He sullenly tore apart a fry on his plate. "I like to read. I don't have any goals. I hate talking about myself."

"You _must_ have goals!" Lee exclaimed. 

"Yeah, where do you want to be in five years?" Choji asked.

Ugh, that fucking question. Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek in annoyance. Where _did_ he want to be in five years? He typically gave some bullshit response. If he were to consider it honestly, he didn’t have an answer beyond ‘hopefully feeling less shitty than I do now.’ 

“You studied biostatistics, right?” Naruto supplied, just as curious as everyone else.

Sasuke rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I was planning to become an epidemiologist."

Kiba perked up. “Hey, my friend Shino is one of those!”

“That’s _entomologist,_ dumbass. Epidemiologists study diseases.” Sakura’s focus moved to Sasuke. “Why ‘was’?”

“I dropped out.”

Temari waved her hand. “You can always go back if you want to. There’s plenty of time to figure your shit out.”

The others voiced their assent and as a show of support, started arguing over who was the worst at adulting (it didn’t take long to come to a consensus that it was Kiba). Surprisingly, it did help Sasuke feel the tiniest bit less like a failure. If he had nothing else going for him, at least he knew how to operate a can opener, which was apparently more than could be said for a certain someone in the group.

\-----

The remainder of lunch was uneventful. His afternoon was spent holed up in a conference room with Sai, going over various presentations and walkthroughs. Sasuke considered himself good at reading people, but he wasn't sure what to make of Sai. He flipped between exceedingly professional overachiever and blunt satirist with disturbing ease. Whether he was intriguing or insufferable remained to be seen.

At the end of the day, Sasuke was leaving the office to head home when he heard Naruto call his name. He froze mid-step and turned to see the blond sprinting toward him. His golden hair was disheveled like he’d run his fingers through it a million times throughout the day and there was a small blotch of coffee staining his white v-neck that hadn’t been there at lunch. He was such a dork. A dork whose unreasonably sexy forearms were now visible with the sleeves of his unbuttoned shirt rolled up to his elbows.

“Let me get your number in case you change your mind about tomorrow.” Naruto thrust his phone into Sasuke’s hands, a new contact record already open and waiting. 

“You’re persistent.”

“Duh, did you forget who I am?”

“If only,” Sasuke drawled as he typed in his number and handed the device back. He slipped out the door without further comment, smiling at the ‘bye, asshole!’ yelled at his back while he walked to the elevator.

He was barely out of the main building when he received a new text from 'unknown'.

_I hope you had a good day, jerk._

And it was, Sasuke admitted, the best day he'd had in a very long time. Perhaps that only highlighted how pathetic his life had become, but whatever.

He re-read Naruto's message until he reached his apartment. He knew Naruto was this kind to everyone, but hey, he could pretend otherwise in the comfort of his own home. After all, it wouldn't hurt anyone but himself.


	4. Chapter 4

Itachi arrived at Sasuke’s apartment bearing Italian food and a bottle of wine. They had an established routine: Itachi unpacked the food and poured their drinks while Sasuke retrieved the dishes, flatware, and cloth napkins that Itachi insisted on using despite Sasuke being perfectly happy to eat out of takeout containers with flimsy plastic forks. It wasn’t until they sat down at the table that either of them spoke.

“How have you been, little brother?”

Sasuke sipped his glass of chianti while observing his sibling. Itachi’s hair was loose over his shoulders, a rarity, and appeared freshly blow-dried and oiled smooth. The elder Uchiha had always prized his long hair. It was a way he’d bonded with their mother, who spent every evening carefully brushing and drying the lengthy brunet locks before bed. In turn, Itachi brushed and braided her hair each night too. As an adult, a little hair pampering was always Itachi’s method of relieving stress. While he looked flawlessly put together to anyone else, Sasuke could see how exhausted he was. It didn’t feel great to know that he’d been contributing even more strain to his brother’s hectic life.

“I… found a job.”

Itachi's expression brightened and Sasuke could practically see some of the tension evaporating from his body. “If you’d told me, we could’ve celebrated properly,” he chided. “What does this job entail?”

Sasuke was tempted to say it didn’t matter and leave it at that, but another look at Itachi’s weary countenance made him reconsider. He gave a brief overview of the company and the position. As much as he wanted to omit just who his new boss was, he knew that it would come up eventually and Itachi would be suspicious as to why he’d kept it a secret. Itachi was already in college by the time Naruto transferred to Sasuke’s school, but the two had occasionally met in passing during the two summers that Naruto and Sasuke were ‘friends.’ And Itachi never forgot a name or face, especially not one of the very few that Sasuke had brought back to their house.

“The head of the department is someone I went to high school with,” Sasuke stated with feigned insouciance.

“Oh? Anyone I’d know?”

“You met him once or twice. Naruto Uzumaki.”

“Naruto,” Itachi repeated thoughtfully, recognition dawning after only a few moments. “I remember. Mother was quite relieved you made a new friend. She was concerned you were lonely after I left.”

Sasuke scoffed. “Don’t flatter yourself.” They both knew he _had_ been lonely, but he wasn't about to admit it. He swirled his glass, taking another sip before grumbling, “And we were hardly friends.”

“Hmm.” Itachi’s eyes flickered with amusement. “Didn’t he come to the funeral?”

“He mentioned that.” Sasuke purposefully kept his gaze toward the table as he began twirling pasta on a fork.

“How nice of him, considering you weren’t friends.”

“That’s just the kind of person he is.”

“I see.”

Sasuke tensed in anticipation of further interrogation, but Itachi left it at that. They ate for a while in silence, then Itachi spoke again.

“My residency graduation is next month. There’s no ceremony, just a formal dinner, but I’d appreciate it if you came.”

Sasuke blinked, hoping his surprise didn’t register on his face. How was he so self-absorbed that he’d failed to remember the fact that Itachi was graduating this year? Fuck. His brother was officially becoming a real doctor. What else was happening in his life that Sasuke didn’t know about? Their conversations always revolved around what Sasuke was doing, how Sasuke was feeling, when Sasuke would be ready to move on. Meanwhile, just like everyone else, Itachi’s life had continued without pause.

He swallowed his mouthful of food and stared down at the half-full plate. The guilt settling in his stomach ruined what remained of his appetite. “Of course I’ll be there.”

“I’ll email the details. My co-residents are eager to meet you.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed. “You better not be using this as an excuse to try to set me up with someone.” Itachi had a habit of tricking Sasuke into what was essentially a blind date under the guise of introducing him to a friend.

“I wouldn’t do that,” Itachi lied smoothly. “But speaking of, how long has it been since-”

“I’m not discussing my sex life with you.”

Itachi smirked. “I was merely asking how long it’d been since you’d been on a date, not had sex, little brother.”

“Either way, none of your business.” Sasuke stabbed what remained of his breaded chicken breast, making pointed eye contact with Itachi as he brutally hacked a piece off with his knife.

“There’s no need to get hostile.”

“Hn.”

Maybe it’d been over a year since he’d had sex. So what? He’d tried, but the casual sex he was accustomed to only made him feel even more alone after his parents’ death. At the same time, he had no desire to pursue anything serious. What kind of person would be attracted to someone as fucked up as himself? Not anyone in their right mind, that was for sure.

“You have a job lined up, I’m assuming?”

“Yes, I’m joining a private practice at the beginning of July. It’s not too far from the university hospital.”

Sasuke nodded. Originally, Itachi intended to do a fellowship in oculoplastics, but he changed course after the accident. He insisted it wasn’t because of Sasuke, but Sasuke suspected he was at least a significant factor in the decision. Being a general opthamologist in a private practice would be considerably less demanding with reasonable hours. In other words, plenty more time for Itachi to meddle in Sasuke’s life.

After dinner, they played a game of Go. Sasuke had only ever beaten Itachi a handful of times, but he still enjoyed the sense of nostalgia the game brought. They’d grown up playing with their father. It was a great exercise in patience, something Sasuke was severely devoid of as a child. 

It was not even ten when Itachi prepared to leave, but he had to take all the sleep he could get.

“I’m proud of you, Sasuke.” Itachi’s voice was soft and genuine and Sasuke was betrayed by his stupid eyes prickling with emotion. He hadn’t done anything praiseworthy. Still, he let Itachi pull him into a hug, inwardly relishing in the human contact he scarcely received these days. It wasn’t often he allowed such physical affection, mainly due to self-loathing under the pretense of pride, but sometimes he recognized that it was more selfish to withhold it than to undeservedly receive it.

Like always, his ‘thank you’ was stuck in his throat. Itachi slipped on his shoes and jacket, alleviating the awkwardness with a fluid change of subject. "You should purchase a pair of computer glasses to reduce eye strain. I’ll text you some recommendations."

“Whatever. Get out and go sleep.”

“Such a wonderful host,” Itachi sighed, attempting to poke Sasuke’s forehead but the younger Uchiha dodged out of the way.

“Someone’s getting slow.”

Itachi arched a brow, the predatory glint forming in his eye spurring a wave of goosebumps across Sasuke’s skin. “Once I begin working at the practice, I’ll have a predictable schedule and we can meet for lunch. And, of course, I look forward to seeing Naruto again so I can thank him for giving my little brother a job.”

Before Sasuke could protest, he disappeared through the door.

They were never much for goodbyes.

\-----

Sasuke was curled on his sofa with his current book and the remainder of his third glass of wine when his phone dinged with a notification. He sighed, expecting it to be Itachi with his list of recommendations, then choked on his sip of wine when he saw Naruto’s name on the screen.

_[10:24] hey bastard, how’s your dinner?_

He ran his tongue along the back of his teeth as he considered whether to respond, burying the glimmer (ok, avalanche) of excitement that Naruto wanted to talk to him. Fuck, he needed to get a grip.

_[10:26] **There**_ **_was food. It was eaten._ **

_[10:26] oh god, don’t tell me there were drinks too?!_

With a snort, Sasuke sat up a little straighter against the armrest, moving his book to the coffee table next to the wineglass.

_[10:27]_ **_The blood of our human sacrifice, obviously._ **

_[10:28] shit, you guys really know how to party. next you’ll be doing brunch, the most powerful gathering of all_

_[10:28]_ **_Brunch is an abomination._ **

_[10:28] how dare you_  
_[10:29] brunch is a divine union that we are blessed to have bestowed upon us_

_[10:29]_ **_It’s no secret that I’m a heathen._ **

_[10:30] hmm true, the blood drinking should’ve tipped me off_  
_[10:30] so do heathens partake in other activities?_

The smile that had been steadily expanding on Sasuke’s face froze, his brain helpfully conjuring elaborate visuals of numerous _activities_ he would very much like to do with Naruto. He swallowed tightly and reigned himself in before his mind could continue its dangerous wandering.

_[10:31]_ **_Such as?_ **

_[10:31] well, we’ll probably be at the barcade for another couple of hours. come down here so I can defend brunch’s honor and kick your ass_

Sasuke deflated slightly. Even if he wanted to go - which he didn’t, other than to see Naruto - he wasn’t exactly good company. Really, inflicting his presence on others was rude in and of itself. As it was, he’d already over-extended his acceptable level of social interaction the previous day. He needed some solitude over the weekend if he was going to survive his first full week of work.

_[10:32]_ **_I’ll pass._ **

_[10:32] c’mon, asshole. it’s fun!_

_[10:32]_ **_Third-wheeling a group of friends is a generous interpretation of fun._ **

A full three minutes elapsed, abruptly ending what had been an immediate back and forth. Sasuke frowned and sunk back down into the cushions, violently shoving the phone under his leg and grabbing his book. If Naruto was butthurt he didn’t want to hang out with his friends, that was his problem. What was this, anyway? A pity invite? Or something he did with all of his new hires?

He exhaled slowly, his bangs fluttering outward and then softly landing against his face strand by strand. God, he was stupid. Naruto wouldn’t get mad over something so trivial, he was better than that. Unlike Sasuke. The moron probably just got distracted and completely forg-- _bzzzt_

_[10:38] they’re your coworkers now too dickwad, but fine. you free tomorrow?_

Sasuke downed the rest of his wine. This was too damn stressful.

_[10:39]_ **_Maybe. Why?_ **

_[10:39] let’s get coffee or something._

What. Was. Happening.

_[10:40]_ **_There’s coffee at work._ **

_[10:40] jeeesus_  
_[10:40] I want to catch up you shithead_

Catching up. That was safe, surely. It was decidedly _not_ a date. Just two sorta-friends-turned-rivals-turned-colleagues filling in the blanks on what had occurred in their lives since they last saw each other. But what did Sasuke even have to discuss aside from the obvious? He didn’t particularly want to go into detail about losing his parents or his own worthless existence with Naruto. He could say no, but Naruto was relentless.

_[10:41] I’m taking your silence as a yes. meet me at Fuu’s Brew at 10_

Welp. Sasuke scrubbed a hand over his face and took a deep breath. He’d already been feeling warm thanks to the wine, but now he was drenched in a nervous sweat. In a valiant attempt to distract himself, he cleaned the entire kitchen, then took a scalding hot shower before settling into bed with an audiobook booming loud enough through his earbuds to drown out any thoughts. Despite his efforts, an unbidden memory of one of their final encounters flooded his mind as his consciousness descended into that transitional state between wakefulness and sleep. 

\-----

_“Nice speech, asshole.” Naruto welcomed Sasuke with a mocking slow clap as the Uchiha returned to his seat after giving the valedictorian address._

_Sasuke smirked, focusing his gaze on the stage instead of his very secret crush who was sitting much too close because_ **_of course_ ** _their surnames always put them together. “I know. It’s a miracle your microscopic brain managed to graduate and be here to hear it."_

_"Like I'd miss a chance to see you spouting bullshit about inspiring people when you hate everyone and have a stick so far up your ass you're incapable of feeling actual emotions.”_

_A girl in the row ahead turned to shush them, then huffed and whipped back around after being pinned by Sasuke’s ruthless glare. Naruto snickered and Sasuke’s lips quirked upward without his consent._

_“So, I_ **_inspired_ ** _you to graduate so that you could hear my speech?”_

_“Dream on. Seeing you have to pretend to give a fuck was just a special bonus.”_

_“I’m a special bonus? Aww.” Sasuke chanced a glance and his heart traitorously leapt at the faint pink blooming on the blond’s tan cheeks._

_“Oh, fuck off.” Naruto crumpled his paper program into a ball and flung it at Sasuke’s head. “There’s nothing special about you.”_

_For a split second, Sasuke’s smirk faltered. He huffed out a hollow laugh, swiftly composing a biting retort, but Naruto had seen the ephemeral display of hurt._

_“It was a joke, you melodramatic dick.” Naruto nudged his knee against the other boy’s, ignoring the scowl he received._

_“I know that,” Sasuke snapped. “Unlike you, I’m not a total fuckwit.”_

_Naruto reached over to play with the honor cords draped down Sasuke’s chest. “Clearly. Isn’t that what all these fancy ropes are for?”_

_Sasuke snatched Naruto’s wrist to yank it away, pausing when Naruto’s startled eyes locked on his. His breath caught, mind momentarily going blank as he drowned in glittering sapphire depths and melted under the warm skin in his grasp. Finally, he shoved Naruto’s hand aside, crossing his arms and staring steadily ahead once more. “Don’t touch me.”_

_“Christ,” Naruto muttered, slumping against his metal chair. Normally, he almost certainly would’ve further antagonized his classmate, but he was distracted when names began to be called to award the diplomas._

_They didn’t interact again until their diplomas were in hand and the final congratulations were made, students collectively rising to their feet and tossing their caps amidst a backdrop of applause. Naruto remained seated, his eyes red-rimmed and watery as he regarded the cream-colored parchment, a physical acknowledgment of all that he’d overcome and accomplished._

_Not for the first time, Sasuke felt a pang of guilt. He wondered what their relationship might have been like if he hadn’t so selfishly and cravenly pushed Naruto away. Naruto deserved friends who wouldn’t be afraid to hug him and tell him how fucking incredible he was. Friends who would put his needs above their fears. Sasuke couldn’t offer him any of that, not because it was impossible, but because he chose not to. He was truly the worst._

_When Naruto looked up to find Sasuke watching him, his vulnerability hardened into wariness, daring Sasuke to ridicule him. Instead, Sasuke gave a small, warm smile. “Stand up, idiot.”_

_Naruto rolled his eyes but complied, returning the smile without hesitation. Always so quick to forgive. “Well, this is it. You gonna miss me?”_

_“Why would I miss a loud-mouthed moron who’s been the bane of my existence for the past six years?”_

_“That’s not a ‘no’.”_

_Sasuke shrugged, mouth twisting into one last smirk before he turned, following the other students who were dispersing to leave and find their families._

_He didn’t look back to see Naruto’s smile grow into a blinding grin._


	5. Chapter 5

Naruto waved as soon as Sasuke turned the corner and walked into view. He was impossible to miss in a bright pastel colorblock hoodie, white joggers, and orange and white trainers that vaguely reminded Sasuke of a creamsicle. The blond’s hair was even more chaotic than usual, golden locks haphazardly pointing in all different directions like he’d received some kind of electric shock. Except in Naruto’s case, the overwhelming source of energy came from within.

Sasuke could already tell that this was a terrible idea. The idiot looked far too excited to see him. Why? What did he possibly have to offer this radiant, too-good-for-the-world cynosure of all who met him? Would he be selfish to accept his kindness, or selfish to refuse it? It seemed like he lost no matter what whenever Naruto was involved. He was grateful to be stopped by a final crosswalk so that he had a moment to gather his bearings before being immersed in the self-contained world he would enter in Naruto's presence. 

“Good morning!” Naruto chirped once Sasuke reached him, his toothy grin perilously bordering on contagious. “I’m glad you showed up, seeing as you never replied to my text and all.”

He should probably feel bad about that, but Sasuke was still considering pretending he hadn’t received Naruto’s last message up until the moment he left his apartment an hour ago. Instead of an apology, however, he ignored the comment entirely. “Morning.”

Naruto pushed himself off of the wall he’d been leaning against and beckoned Sasuke to follow as he moved to open the door of the coffee shop. “You been here before?

“No.” Sasuke glanced around as they entered. Unlike the cozy, intimate atmosphere most coffee shops strived for, this place was bursting with color, the faint music upbeat and lively over soft and tranquil. The main wall was painted in a geometric pattern with blues, pinks, and yellows, the others stark white but laden with colorful artwork. The stainless steel tables were all long, extending the entire length of the room to encourage people to share space with strangers. Paint splatters of every color decorated the concrete floor, the shop’s logo painted in a circular mural in the center of the chaos. It wasn’t difficult to see why the place appealed to Naruto. Sasuke briefly thought of his apartment, minimalist and neutral toned. Then there was the blond’s bright and colorful outfit next to his usual black and grey. So much of himself was the antithesis of Naruto.

“Well, my friend from college owns it,” Naruto had been saying. “A lot of the artwork is actually Sai’s. Isn’t it great?” He gestured around as they got into line to order, beaming proudly as if it were his own.

“Mm,” was Sasuke’s non-committal reply. His eyes drifted to the menu board, desperate to calm his nerves. Naruto followed his line of sight and immediately began listing off his favorite drinks and pastries, expression turning to one of longing as he described each item. Sasuke wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d started drooling. He cut himself off when they reached the front of the line, a grin splitting his face as he greeted the college-aged kid behind the counter.

“Hey, Konohamaru! How’s it going, man? Don’t you have finals coming up?”

The brunette– _Konohamaru_ , apparently– nodded sullenly. “They start this week.”

Naruto gawked. “And you’re here working?! You should be studying! Does Fuu know about this? Where is she?” He craned his neck to try to see through to the back room, brow furrowed in disapproval. Sasuke snorted at the ridiculousness of _Naruto_ telling someone to study.

Konohamaru rolled his eyes. “Chill _._ My first exam isn’t until Wednesday.”

“Oi, don’t forget our deal.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Are you gonna order or what?”

“I’ll have my usual, and–” Naruto turned to Sasuke and pulled out his wallet. “Did you decide on something?”

Sasuke frowned. “I’ll pay for myself.”

“I invited you, so my treat.”

“I’d rather–”

“We _do_ have people waiting, so just order, would you?” Konohamaru droned, the marker in his hand tapping on the counter impatiently.

Sasuke shot him a glare. “Fine. Small Americano. No cream or sugar.”

Naruto grinned and handed over his card to pay. Once his wallet was tucked away, he reached out and ruffled Konohamaru’s hair. “Anything below a B and I’m kicking your ass.”

“As if you could,” Konohamaru snapped, shoving the blond away. Naruto only cackled in response and walked to the pick-up table, Sasuke following behind.

“Do you make a habit of harassing baristas?” 

Chuckling, Naruto cocked a hip against the table and crossed his arms. “I met him through a mentorship program I volunteered in… 4 years ago now? He was a ‘troubled teen,’” he accompanied the words with air quotes, “so obviously I was qualified as a former troubled teen myself to beat some sense into him.”

“I wouldn’t really consider you a troubled teen,” Sasuke said, brow arching in surprise. He’d had some anger issues, sure, but it wasn’t like he took it out on others.

“Well, you don’t know everything that went on with me back then.” Their drinks were placed on the table and he picked them up, handing over Sasuke’s smaller cup. “What d’you think about walking to a park? There's one a couple blocks away. It's too nice out to stay inside."

Sasuke was still stuck on the first part of Naruto’s reply. What was it he didn’t know about? He couldn’t imagine Naruto getting into any serious kind of trouble, he was too honest. But he didn’t want to pry when he hated people doing so to him. So, he refocused to Naruto’s question. Park. Sure. His rather severe vitamin D deficiency would indubitably benefit from some sun exposure. He shrugged and Naruto took the gesture as agreement and led them outside. After a few steps, he abruptly thrust his drink toward Sasuke.

"Oh, wanna try? It's the iced cardamom latte I was telling you about. Not too sweet," he added.

Sasuke hesitated, but finally grabbed the cup when Naruto wiggled it insistently. He took a small sip, forcing himself not to think about the fact that Naruto's lips had been there seconds earlier. It was surprisingly good, a strong coconut flavor nicely complimenting the spice. The sweetness wasn't overbearing but still too much for him to have an entire cup of. "It's not awful."

“Psh, it’s delicious and you know it.” 

He watched Naruto take another drink with his heart thundering in his chest. Ugh, he was like a teenage girl, feeling all fluttery about a stupid indirect kiss. Then again, it was definitely the closest he’d ever get to a real kiss with Naruto, so perhaps he should relish in it.

“Anyway,” Naruto started as they continued walking. “It’s crazy we’ve both been living here all this time. Do you think you’ll stay here long-term, or do you want to go back north eventually?”

“I’m not sure. For now, I want to stay near Itachi,” he answered truthfully.

“I can understand that. You guys are still close, then?” Naruto smiled into his cup at Sasuke’s nod. “I’m glad.”

Sasuke didn’t know how to respond to that, so he busied himself with drinking his coffee before it became cold.

“I wanted to reach out a few times, y’know, but you apparently don’t believe in social media.”

That was… he had not expected that. He looked at Naruto, fingers anxiously playing with the cardboard sleeve on his cup. “Why?”

“Why,” Naruto repeated, his free hand running through his hair. “Well, we were dicks to each other but we didn’t actually hate each other, right? I mean, you were the closest thing I had to a friend, so…” He wet his lower lip, then brought it between his teeth, thinking before he spoke again. “I missed you, I guess.”

It was a wonderful coincidence that they had just arrived at a pedestrian crossing with a red light, else it would’ve been quite embarrassing for Sasuke to have frozen in the middle of the street. His mouth opened, but no words came out.

“And then I heard about the accident, my dad called me as soon as he found out, and… shit, I wanted to be there for you, but it’d been so long, and I figured you had actual friends by then anyway. Not that that’s an excuse, really, I still should’ve…”

He wanted to say that no, it wouldn't have mattered, he was too lost in grief for Naruto to have made a difference, but what if that wasn't true? If anyone could've grounded him, it was Naruto, wasn't it? Itachi couldn’t. His friends couldn’t. Naruto… Naruto wouldn't have let him fade away like he had. 

Naruto seemed to mistake his silence for something else, eyes widening in horror. “Fuck, sorry, I– I didn’t mean to bring it up like that,” he said quickly, arms flailing in his panic. 

Maybe he should’ve been more affected by the mention of the accident, but Sasuke was too caught up in the revelation that Naruto had _missed_ him, had wanted to support him, and the way he was currently freaking out with worry was really fucking adorable. The corner of his mouth twitched upward and just when he was about to assure the idiot that it was fine, he saw the light change and decided to prolong his misery. 

“It’s green.”

“What?” Naruto blinked in confusion, arms still outstretched mid-flail. He looked to where Sasuke was pointing and flushed. “Oh, right, we’re almost there.” 

They walked the remaining distance in silence, arriving at the park just a few minutes later. It was sizable due to being in a more residential part of the city, consisting of a playground, massive green space, picnic shelters, and trails that branched into different neighborhoods. Given the perfect spring weather, it was packed with people, but they managed to find a secluded spot on the edge of the field. Sasuke was finished with his coffee by that point but continued holding onto it anyway, needing something to keep his hands occupied. 

“I’m not upset you mentioned the accident.” He sat with one knee bent and an arm draped over it, his other leg folded to the side. “It was everything else that… caught me off guard.” Naruto’s eyes were on him, he could feel them, but he didn’t dare meet his gaze. Talking openly and honestly just wasn’t what they did. He was used to their verbal sparring, not whatever this was. This felt vulnerable and precarious and incredibly uncomfortable. 

“What do you mean?”

He exhaled slowly in a futile attempt to stabilize his racing pulse, his index finger absently flicking the hole in the lid of his cup. “I didn’t exactly treat you well.” _So why would you miss me?_ was left unspoken.

Naruto shifted beside him and the movement made Sasuke glance up to see the blond leaning back on his hands, eyes distant. “I figured you were going through your own shit just like I was. You were still the only one to treat me normally when I transferred, even if your ‘normal’ is just being a cold bastard to everyone.” He looked back at Sasuke with a smirk that soon softened. “I knew you were a good person.”

Sasuke slanted him with a skeptical look. 

“You are,” Naruto said plainly, like it was as indisputable a fact as the sky being blue. “I can’t say this is how I expected to get back in touch, but I was really happy to see you again.”

His face _had_ to be bright red now. Sasuke tilted his head forward, hoping his bangs would shadow his cheeks enough to make the blush less apparent. Naruto had no idea what these words were doing to him. How could he say all of this so easily? Maybe it was simple when the intention behind them was completely platonic. Of course Sasuke was happy to see Naruto too, but to actually _say_ that would be… 

“So,” the blond continued, and _please for fuck’s sake let him change the subject,_ “tell me what’s going on with you. Why did you apply to Sprout? And don’t just give me ‘I needed a job’ again.”

Well.

That was a subject change, though not exactly what he'd been hoping for.

“You saw my resume. I’ve pretty much been doing nothing since…” He trailed off.

“I wouldn’t say grieving is ‘nothing,’ but go on.”

“What are you, my therapist?”

Naruto only lifted his brows, circling his hand to say _get on with it._

Sasuke sighed. “Itachi decided I’d moped enough and cut me off. I don’t get any of my inheritance until next year, so I had to take whatever job I could find.”

“So what, once you get the money you’re going to quit and go back to being a hermit?”

“Maybe.”

“Sasuke…”

“ _Naruto,_ ” he sneered. Then, unable to stand the look on Naruto’s face, he let himself fall flat against the grass and hid his eyes under an arm. “I don’t know what I’ll do.”

“What do you think _they’d_ want you to do?”

His lips parted, surprised Naruto would ask him that but also not, knowing that Naruto was never afraid to say what he needed to hear. “They’d want me to be happy.”

Naruto made a contemplative sound. “And will shutting yourself out from the rest of the world make you happy?”

“Probably not. But the world sucks too, so what difference does it make?”

“So dramatic.”

“Fuck you.” 

“Hey, a good fuck might help.”

“Tried that.” 

“Ah, guess you’re just broken then.”

"Jesus," Sasuke breathed out the softest chuckle, "you really know what to say to the depressed."

And then it hit him that that was the first time he'd laughed in _forever_ and a lump formed in his throat, all of the air dissipating from his lungs. His arm fell away and whatever expression was on his face must have scared Naruto because the blond was suddenly close, _too fucking close_ , leaning over him with eyes full of worry and hands hovering above his body, itching to comfort him somehow.

"I didn't mean…"

"I know, moron."

He took a few deep breaths, fleetingly thinking of the memory that had invaded his brain the night before in which a similar exchange occurred. This time, he didn't want to push Naruto away.

"I just realized that was the first time I've laughed in… a very long time."

"Oh." Naruto retreated slightly, hands lowering to his sides, still watching Sasuke intently. He offered a crooked smile. "Then I'll just have to make you laugh more."

"You can try." He smirked, which Naruto returned with one of his own. Neither moved for a minute and then Sasuke’s smirk faltered when Naruto’s eyes darkened with resolve. The blond opened his mouth and began to sing. _Loudly._

 _“_ _I come home, in the mornin' light_

_My mother says ‘When you gonna live your life right?’”_

Sasuke slowly propped himself up on his elbows, shaking his head. “Oh my _god._ ”

_“Oh momma dear, we're not the fortunate ones_

_And girls, they wanna have fu-uuun!”_

Naruto accompanied the lyrics with passionate hand gestures and despite being toward the back of the field, it didn’t take long for several people to notice him and stare. Sasuke finally laughed when he forgot part of the second verse and someone helpfully shouted it to him, but he kept mishearing them and messed up the same line half a dozen times. Thankfully, he gave up after that, giving a seated bow to a couple of people who clapped. Then he beamed at Sasuke, who by then was feeling embarrassingly light and floaty.

“You have no shame.”

“Nope.” 

“Someone probably recorded that.”

“Meh.” He mimicked Sasuke’s position, legs outstretched and weight resting on his elbows, blue eyes squinting up at the sun. “Made you laugh, though.”

That. That was why he loved this idiot.

Another silence stretched, comfortable this time, and then a thought popped into Sasuke’s head from earlier. “What’s the deal you have with Konohamaru?”

“Deal? Oh, that. If he aces his exams, I told him I’d put in a good word for our paid summer marketing internship.”

“Like you wouldn’t do that either way.”

“He doesn’t need to know that.”

“You’re really…” Their eyes met and Sasuke paused, taking a moment to memorize the way Naruto was looking at him– open, unguarded, the gentlest smile playing on his lips. He wondered how he looked to Naruto, what the other man could see in the impassive mask he’d spent so long perfecting it now came naturally.

“Really what?”

“Too nice,” he finished, averting his gaze.

Naruto hummed. “Figures you’d try to make something good sound bad. Just can’t give me a straight compliment, can you, asshole?”

“I don’t compliment anyone, if that makes you feel better.”

“Of course. Can’t have people thinking _you’re_ nice, the world might actually implode.”

“See, I’m just doing everyone a favor.”

Naruto laughed quietly, the sound so different from his typical boisterous laughter. It felt intimate and precious and Sasuke basked in it, for once allowing himself to enjoy the warmth that caressed every cell in his body. If he could make Naruto laugh, maybe he wasn’t a lost cause.

Their conversation turned to work, with Naruto admitting he was experiencing a bit of impostor syndrome in his new role. It stunned Sasuke how freely he could share his insecurities and he had to wonder why Naruto trusted him with them. Sasuke was hardly the best person to boost someone’s confidence. The most he could do was say that they wouldn’t have given him the job if he hadn’t proven his competency. When Naruto still looked uncertain, he added that he could tell after only one day that everybody at Sprout adored him and _that_ made Naruto positively radiate happiness, blue eyes wide and glistening. And fuck if that didn’t tug at Sasuke’s heartstrings so hard he hated himself for not being able to just give the man a hug and promise him that he was good, he was perfect, he was _loved._

At noon, they separated, Naruto having already made plans for a late lunch with Kiba, Temari, and Temari’s boyfriend. He’d tried to convince Sasuke to come, insisting no one would mind, but Sasuke simply walked away after the third unheeded ‘no’ and didn’t deign to give the _fine, I’ll see you tomorrow, bastard!_ a reply.

On the bus ride home, he realized he was still carrying the coffee cup. He fiddled with the sleeve and it eventually slipped down, revealing Naruto's name scribbled on the side. He hadn't noticed it earlier, but now that he thought about it, Konohamaru had never asked for his name so he must've just put Naruto's on both drinks.

Sasuke found himself tracing over the letters with his thumb as he replayed the past couple of hours over in his head. Naruto missing him, Naruto making him laugh, Naruto leaning over him so close he could discern every intricacy of those ultramarine eyes. He didn’t know how the fuck he could still be so utterly smitten with someone he hadn’t even seen in years, but it was out of his control. He would accept that and the inevitable heartbreak if it meant staying in Naruto’s orbit for as long as the blond would have him. Naruto wanted to be his friend and this time he wouldn’t fuck it up.

When he fell asleep that night, it was with a smile and the coffee cup on his dresser, nestled alongside his other treasured memories.


End file.
